Engine starter



Aug. i5, 1933. MAR-CUS 1,923,037

ENGINE STARTER Filed July 6, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,llllllliu Y iw.

Aug. 15, 1933. c. MARCUS 1,923,037

ENGINE STARTER Filed July 6, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Aug 15, 1933. C MARCUS 1,923,037`

ENGINE STARTER Filed July 6, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 Aug. 15, 1933 Q MARCUS '1,923,037

- ENGINE STARTER Filed July 6, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 15, 1933. c, MARCUS' 1,923,037

ENGINE STARTER Filed July 6, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l\ 3 "N v 'lruw 1 I -e if" i' w1? W); A'

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j rately from or in cnjunctionwith such mecha- I Patented Aug. .15, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,923,037 ENGiNE s'rAa'rEa Charles Marcus, New York, N. Y., assignor` to Company, Elmira, N. Y., a. Corporation of New York l 'iihiiiotion Jiyc, 1.925. sei-iol No. 41,859

j zs'cioims. (orizz-iss) My inventiontrelates to engine starting appapressure isl provided for the friction plates by ratus for starting :internal combustion engines, means off-'a series of springs 6 which are located more particularly :airplane engines and the obin such *annular space between the barrel and ject there of is to provide a simple, efficient and shaft and such pressure is regulated by the adreliable apparatus for manual operation, preferjustable nut 7. Within the shel14, there is mountably from opposite sides of the fuselage. My coned a screw shaft 8 having long lead threads 9 struction and arrangement of manually operated which are threaded to the internally threaded or mechanism lends itself also to the combination nut portion 10 of the shell. This shaft is protherewith of an electric starting motor which vided at it's outer end with a driving member may be applied thereto and operated either sepa.- which is here in the form of a splined member or part 11 adapted when moved longitudinally nism, and it also lends itself to the combination Vto engage a rotatable member of the engine to therewith of va-magneto in place of the motor so be started, which latter member is here the enthat when thc-*engine is hand cranked the maggine crank shaft12 provided with internal splines. neto may have a suillcient speed to give the de- This engaging movement may be limited by any sired spark for the engine ignition. suitable means, as by the provision of a stop nut In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectionalelevation 13 adapted to engage the end face of the threadof my apparatus on line 1 -1 of Fig. 3; Fig. 2 an ed portion 10 of the shell when the splined part end elevation thereof looking at the .engine en- 11 has become fully meshed with the crankgaging end thereof; Fig. 3 an elevation of the shaft 12. other end thereof showing a portion in section; When the barrel is rotated in themanner here- Fig; 4 an elevation partly in section similar to inafter-expained, such rotation is imparted to the Fig. 3 but illustrating the addition of a starting shell 4 through the friction clutch with the result motor;` Fig. 5 a detail section of the attachment that by reason of the threaded connection between of the gear to the cranking shaft; Fig. 6 an elevasuch shell and shaft, the latter is moved outwardso tion of the apparatus of Fig. 4 viewed from the ly to the left in Fig. 1 and thesplined portion" opposite end; Fig. 'T1 a side elevation thereof; thereof is engaged with the engine member and Fig. 8 an elevation similar to Fig. 4 but illustratthe engine is thereupon cranked. When the ening the application of a magneto' in place of the ginestarts on its own power the excess speed of motor; and Fig. 9 an end elevation thereof: rotation of the enginesmember 12will cause shaft 85 Inasmch as my invention concerns manually 8 to be screwed backwardly, thereby causing the operated mechanism as the source of power or splined portion-to be automatically demeshed and the addition thereto of a starting motor in fa. the shaft to be restored to normal position as novel manner with respect to the modification shown in Fig. 1, at which time the abutment nut hereinafter described, the particular construction 13 is incontact with the bushing or hub 14 of the 90 of the drive or transmission for automatic envmain* drive wheel 15 of the apparatus. gagement with andl disengagement from the Describing the means for actuating the drive member of the engine to be started is immaterial, or transmission, the main drive wheel 15 is in and therefore, any suitable drive or transmission the form ofa. worm wheel having the peripheralI of this character may be employed However, I Worm POI'tOn 16 The main Casing' -1 iS extended 95.'

prefer` to employ the particulardrive or transt0 form an eXtenSiOn 01 Supplementary Casing mission illustrated in the drawings, particularly 17 within which is' loma-18d the hand Crank Shaft in Fig. 1 thereof, the same being the subject mat- -`18- Thishaft iS DIIOVided at its middle portion ter of a copending application. with worm 1 9 meshing with the-worm gear 15 First describing the automatic drive or transand itsvbealngs 20 and 21 are lated mmedi- 100 mission illustrated in Fig. l, the sameis located ately adjacent the "Worm, and mOIeOVeI. {S1101} within a main casing 1 within which "is profer- Shaft extends beyond such bearings and extrane-v ably provided a bushing 2. Within this bushing aus of the casing 1'?, preferably at both ends rotates'a barrel and a shell 4 concentrically artheref aS ShOWD in Fig- 3- This hand Crank ranged therewithin andxprov'iding a considerable Shaft at its QDPOSite ends extraneous 0f the CaS- 105 annular spacebetween them `to receive a yieldiI1`g`S-D1'0Yided With ra-nk engaging 11188115 Such able driving connection which 'is here in the form' as pinsv 22 and 23 adapted t be engaged by the of a friction clutch 5.l Thesets of clutch plates usual .hand crank for an internal combustion are splined respectively to the interior or" the engine., barrel and the exterior of the shell. The proper v This/crank shaft itself may extend through the opposite sides of the fuselage of the airplane when the apparatus is used in connection with an airplane engine or separate extensions may be provided which are thrust through openings in the sides of the fuselage and the hand crank thereupon applied.

Describing the operation of the apparatus, rotation of the shaft 18 will rotate the worm 19 and rotate the worm wheel 15 through a considerable reduction. Rotation of this wheel willL rotate the barrel 3 and operate the drive or transmission in the manner hereinbefore explained.

My construction of manually operated mechanism lends itself readily to' the application of a starting motor in the event that a prime mover is desired in addition to the manual power. To such end, the starting motor isattached to the supplementary casing 17 which has a suitable pad portion to receive it and gearing is provided between the starting motor and the hand crank shaft 18;`

Describing the particular embodiment of the combined apparatus shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, a starting motor 24 is suitably mounted and secured to the casing 17 and its armature shaft is provided 4with a pinion 25 which meshes witha gear 26 operatively connected withv the hand crank shaft 27 which now also becomes a power shaft. The shaft shown in Fig. 4 is somewhat longer than the shaft 18 of Fig. 3 in order to make provision for handcranking at the left hand end thereof, but as shown in the modification, Fig. 5, identically the same shaft is used as in Fig. 3. The pinion 25 and gear 26 are suitably housed by means of a 4casing 28 forming a part of the end plate or` head of the electric motor. The lmain casing is closed at its end adjacent the wheel 15 by means of a removable plate 23. As shown the gear 26 is operatively connected to shaft 27 by pin and slot connection as by means of the transverse cranking pin 30 engaging slots 31 in the bore of the hub of such gear. l.

The motor assembly contains a complete gear reduction within itself, the driven gear being entirely restrained in its casing 28 by the two exter- 4nal annular bearings 28a. With the use of the pin and slot driving connection having the considerable clearance between them, this makes for a simple application of the motor assembly to the starter casing without accuracy and with ease.

The motor 24 is detachably secured to the casing 17 and preferably indirectly thereto through the medium of a platform 32 which is secured to the pad 33 of the casing by means of screws 34. This platform is employed in case of installation on an airplane wherein the longitudinal space between the face of the engine crank case to which the starter apparatus is mounted and the re wall is very limited so that in mounting the apparatus upon the crank case, it is impossible to make the pad sufliciently wide of itselfto accommodate vthe base of the motor. For this reason, the platform is used which isapplied and sec ed to the casing 17 after the assembly of the apparatus including the casing to the engine.

The platform is channeled to an accurate width I so as to receive the base of the motor, the same being located endwise by the two pins 35 near the edge of the platform. 'Ijwo rods 36 pass through the ears 37 of the platform and to these rods are attached the hooks 38 secured to the ends of a strap 39 which passes over the body of the motor and clamps the same firmly to the platform. The

strap is tightened by adjusting the cap screw 40 which is locked in place by the locklnut 41.

Lacasse' Describing the operation of the apparatus with the motor drive, when the motor is energized and the armature shaft is rotated, the cranking shaft 27. is likewise rotated with the results hereinbefore described. If desired or when necessary in case of a low storage battery, the power of the motor may be supplemented by hand cranking. This construction enables the same starter unit to be employed for either power or hand cranking.

AWhere a battery is carried on an airplane, such as the case of thelarger airplanes used for observation or bombing, the motor may be employed,

but where a battery is not carried as in the case of.

small airplanes, such as pursuit airplanes, the

lmotor and its connections may be removed, the remainder of the apparatus beingI the hand My apparatus also lends itself to the installation, in combination with the starter-mechanism, of a magneto which may be applied thereto upon the platform and pad of the casing 17, in the same manner as the motor. The purpose of such magneto is to furnish suicient sparking for the ignition during the comparatively slow cranking rotation of an engine that is equipped-with magneto ignition which' functions properly only at the normal or higher speed. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the magneto 44 is secured to the platform by a similar strap 39 as in the case of the motor and the same is driven from the cranking shaft 27 through compound gearing which comprises `a main gear 45 pinned to the cranking shaft 27 by the crank pin 22, a pinion 46 mounted to rotate v freely on a stud 47 mounted in a bracket 48, a gear wheel 49 rigidly secured or integral with the pinion 46, and a pinion 50 secured to the magneto shaft 51. These gears and pinion constitute the driving train between the cranking shaft 27 and the magneto shaft and serve to rotate such magneto at such high speed as to give the sufficient spark for the engine ignition during the cranking operation and until the regular magneto of the engine is rotated thereby at sufficiently high speed to function normally to furnish the ignition. 'I'he gear 45 has an extended hub 52 which receives a cranking tube 53 pinned thereto by a pin 54. The other end of this tube has the usual spiral slots to receive the usual hand crank, wherefore in this construction, as well as that of Figs. 4

and 5 the apparatus may be cranked at either end of the shaft 27 notwithstanding the presence of the train of gears used for either the motor or the magneto, whichever is used. l

.When the shaft 27 is rotated by the hand cran the drive or transmission isv operated in it, the electric motor of Fig. 4 and the electric generator or magneto of' Figs. 8 and. 9, are both dynamo electric machines which are operatively connected with the -c ranking shaft, the motor driving' such shaft through said connections and the generator or magneto being driven bysuch shaft through said connections. Generically speaking, both of thesev machines are dynamo electric machines and such term is used in the claims to covereither machine.

I claim:

1. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating such driving member, a friction clutch between said driving member and rotatable member and a manually operated shaft operatively connected with such vrotatable member and con'- structed and arranged to be operated at either end.

2. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member ofthe engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating such driving member, a friction clutch between said driving member and rotatable member and a manually operated shaft operatively connected with such rotatable member and hav- -journalled in such casing and having its .ends

extending extraneous of the casing and provided with clutch means for operation from either end.

4. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a worm wheel operatively connected with the driving member by connections including an adjustable friction clutch, and

a worm engaging such wheel and having a shaft extending on both sides of the worm, both ends of the shaft being provided'witlivclutch,means for operation from either end.

5. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a worm wheel operatively connected with the driving member by connections including an adjustable'friction clutch, a casing for such wheel, such casing having an extension, and a worm located within such extension and having a shaft extending on both sides of the worm and journalled in the casing exten-i sion, said shaft extending at both ends extraneous of said extension and being provided with clutch means for operation from either end.

6. An engine starter including a casing, a barrel rotatable therewithin, a substantially cylin- 'drical shell concentric of and drivingly connected with the barrel by connections including an adjustable friction clutch, afdriving member located Within and rotatable by the shell and mounted for longitudinal movement to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a

' worm wheel secured to the barrel, and manually operated means for actuating such wheel.

'7. An engine 'starter including a'casing, a barrel rotatable therewithin, a substantially cylindrical shell concentric of and drivingly connected with the "barrel by connections including an adjust- .able friction clutch, a driving member located wheel secured to the barrel, and a manually operated worm for actuating such wheel.

8. An enginestarter including a casing, a barl rel rotatable therewithin, a substantially cylindrical shell concentric of and drivingly connected with the barrel by connections including an adjustable friction clutch, a drivingI member L located within the shell and mounted for longitudinal movement to engage and crank a member of thexengine to be started, a worm wheel secured to 'the barrel, and means whereby such wheel may be operated from either side of its axis.

9. An engine starter including a casing, a barrel rotatable therewithin, a substantially cylindrical shell concentric of and drivingly connected with the barrel, a driving member located within and rotatable by the shell and mounted for longitudinal movement to engage and crank a member of the engine-to be started, means coacting with a4 driving-member for controlling the longitudinal movements of the driving member, a worm wheel secured to the barrel, and a worm engaging such wheel and having a shaft extending on both sides of the worm, the operating connections between the worm wheel and said driving member including an adjustable friction clutch.

10. An engine starter including a casing, a barrel rotatable therewithin, a substantially cylindrical shell concentric of and drivingly connected with the barrel, a driving member located within the shell and mounted for longitudinal movement to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, means coacting fwith the driving member and shell for controlling -the longitudinal movements" of the driving member, a worm wheel secured to the barrel, and a Worm engaging such wheel and having a shaft extending on both sides of the worm, both ends of the shaft being provided with'clutch means for man- 115 ual operation from'either end, said casing having an extension which encloses the worm wheel and in which the worm shaft is journalled.

" 11. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, means including a rotatable member for actuating such driving memi ber, a casing, means for automatically moving the driving member into engagement with the engine member, a manually operated shaft journalled in such casing and having its ends extending extraneous of the casing and provided with clutch means for manual operation from either end, and a motor mounted upon such casing and drivingly connected with said shaft.

12. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating such driving member, a casing, and a manually operated shaft journalled in such casing and having its ends extending extraneous of the casing and provided with clutch means for manual operation from either end, a motor mounted upon such casing, a gear secured to one end the shaft on the inner side of its clutch meaxs, and a pinion meshing with the gear and driven by the motor.'

13. An engine 'starter including a driving member adapted'to engage and crank afmember of the engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating such driving member, a cranking shaft operatively Jconnected with such rotatable' mem:

ber, a casing in which such cranking shaft is mounted and which has a pad, a detachable and driving connections between the armature shaft of the motor and said cranking shaft.

14. An engine starterv including a driving memberadapted to engageand crank a member of the engine to be started, a rotable member for actuating such driving member, a cranking shaft operatively connected with such rotatable member, a casing in which the cranking shaft is mounted, an electric motor mounted on the casing, and a train of gears between the cranking shaft and the armature shaft of the motor-carried by the motor casing and including a gear having a hub with pin and slot connection with the cranking shaft for endwise removal therefrom.

15. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating such driving member, a cranking shaft operatively connected with such rotatable member, and having near its end a cranking pin, a casing inwhich the cranking shaft is mounted, an electric motor detachably mounted on the casing, anda train of gears between the cranking shaft and the armature shaft of the motor and carried by the motor for detachment therewith, said train including a gear having a hub with opposite internal slots adapted to receive the projecting ends of such pin. g

16. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to4 engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating such diriving member, a cranking shaft operatively connected with such rotatable member, a casing in which such shaft is mounted and which is provided with a pad, a platform detachably connected with suchpad, a dynamo electric machine secured to said platform, and -driving connections between said cranking shaft and the dynamo electric machine. y

17. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and .crank a member of the engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating such driving member,`adjustable friction clutch means for drivably connecting said driving member and rotatable member, a manually operable cranking shaft operatively connected at its central portion with such rotatable member and constructed and arranged to be operated at either end.

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18. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be. started, a rotatable member for actuating such driving member, friction clutch means for .drivably connecting said driving member and rotatable member, a manually operable cranking shaft operatively connected with such rotatable member and constructed and arrangedto be manually operated at either end.

19. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating such driving member, a casing which encloses such driving member androtatable member and in which vthey are mounted, aworm wheel connected with the rotatable member and -contained within the casing the operating connections between said worm wheel and said driving member including an adjustablel friction clutch, adriving shaft also mounted in such casing and having intermediate its length a worm cooperating with said wheel, said shaft extending extraneous of the casing to receive application of torque.

11,92%@37 motor detachably connected with such platform,

20. An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating such driving member, a casing which encloses such driving member and rotatable member and in which they are mounted, a driving shaft also mounted in such casing and opera.- tively connected intermediate its ends with said rotatable member, said shaft extending extraneous of the casing and having an exposed nonclrcular formation to receive a hand crank for application of torque, and backfire protective means interposed between said rotatable and driving members. 2l. In combination, a driven member adapted to engage a member of an engine to be started, aI

driving barrel, friction clutch means in the barrel for drivably connecting said barrel and driven member, a manually operable shaft extending transversely of the longitudinalaxis of the barrel; means drivably connecting s aid shaft and barrel, and an electrical machine ldrivably connected to said shaft.

22. In combination, a casing, a barrel rotatably mounted in said casing, a driven member adapted to engage a member of an engine to be started, a friction clutch for drivably connecting said barrel and driven member, a manually operable shaft, worm gearing for drivably connecting said shaft to said barrel, an electrical machine mounted on s'aid casing, and means for drivably connecting said electrical machine to said shaft.

23. .An engine starter including a driving member adapted to engage and crank a member of the engine to be started, a rotatable member for actuating said driving member, yielding means for drivably connecting the driving member and rotatable member, a manually operable cranking shaft operatively connected with said rotatable member, and gear means connected with said shaft for readily connecting a generator or a motor thereto, whereby the. motor may drive the cranking shaft or the cranking shaft may be used to actuate the generator.

24. In an engine starter, in combination with a. longitudinally grooved member constituting a permanently connected part of the engine proper, a correspondingly grooved driving member engageable with said engine member, power actuating means therefor, an adjustable multidisc friction clutch mechanism interposed between said power means and said grooved members, and means including a worm and gear reduction unit. for drivably connecting said power means with said friction clutch mechanism.

25. In an engine starter, in combination with a hollow rotatable member constituting a permanently connected part of the engine proper, a

driving member engageable with the internal surface of said hollow rotatable member, power `lactuating means therefor, an adjustable multi- 26. In an Vengine starter, 'in combination with a I longitudinally `grooved member constituting a permanently connected part of the engineproper, a correspondingly grooved driving member engageable with said engine member, an adjustable lbarrel member disposed in coaxial alignment with said engine member, a friction clutch mechanism constituting a driving connection of limited torque capacity interposed between said barrel member and said engine-engaging member, and alternative power and manually operated means operatively connected with said barrel member.

27. In an engine starter, in combination with a hollow rotatable member constituting a permanently connected part of the engine proper, a driving member engageable with the internal surface of said hollow rotatable member, a barrel member disposed in coaxial alignment with said engine member, a friction clutch mechanism constituting a driving connection of limited torque capacity interposed between said barrel member and said engine-engaging member, and alternative power-and manually operated means operatively connected with said barrel member.

2B. In an engine starter, in combination with a` longitudinally grooved member constituting a permanently connected part of the engine proper, a correspondingly grcoved driving member engageable with said engine member. a barrel member disposed in coaxial alignment with said engine member, a friction clutch mechanism constituting a driving connection of limited torque capacity interposed between said barrel member and said engine-engaging member, and alternative power and manually operated means operatively connected with said barrel member, said barrel having a gear directly connected thereto for operative engagement by both said power and manually operated means.

29. In an engine starter, in combination with a longitudinally grooved member constituting a permanently connected part of the engine proper, a correspondingly grooved driving member engageable with said engine member, a barrel member disposed in coaxial alignment with said engine member, a friction clutch mechanism constituting a driving connection of limited torque capacity interposed between said barrel member and said `engine-engaging member, and alternative power and manually operated means operatively connected with said barel member, and a gear reduction mechanism' having at least a portion thereof common to both said power and manually operated means.

CHARLES MARCUS. 

